JP3949947B2 - Edge-hold type rotating device for substrates - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an edge hold type rotating device for setting an angular position of a substrate such as a silicon wafer, a photomask glass, and a liquid crystal glass in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in an apparatus that rotates a substrate placed on a table for the purpose of aligning the rotation of the substrate, a substrate support method is generally used in which the back surface of the substrate is sucked or the back surface is supported by pins. This method cannot be used in a process that requires strict cleanliness on the front and back surfaces of the substrate. Therefore, a method of supporting the edge portion while avoiding the inner area of the back surface of the substrate has been adopted. However, in the substrate transport system using a robot or the like, the substrate back edge portion is supported depending on the rotation stop position. Since the support block and the arm hand means of the robot interfere with each other, it is necessary to change the substrate. Also, with the conventional method of supporting the edge of the backside of the substrate, depending on the substrate delivery state, the support block may interfere with the detection means such as the edge or notch of the substrate, and it is necessary to replace or change the substrate. It becomes. Furthermore, semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses are required to improve throughput in order to reduce the cost of final products.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and when a substrate is placed on a table, when the contactable area on the back surface of the substrate is limited to the edge, An object of the present invention is to provide an edge-hold type rotating device for a substrate that can omit the substrate holding operation or the replacing operation, thereby greatly improving the throughput and improving the yield and reducing the production cost. And
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 comprises substrate rotating means for rotating a table for holding an edge of a substrate such as a silicon wafer, glass for photomask, glass for liquid crystal, etc., with its central axis as a rotation axis. , and a detection means for detecting the angular position of the substrate which is edge hold to the substrate rotation means on, in edge hold type rotary device of the substrate in which the substrate is loading and unloading by the arm the hand means such as a robot in the substrate rotation means The table includes a plurality of support blocks that are movable and are in contact with and supported by the back surface of the edge portion of the substrate, and a support block that is positioned within a predetermined rotation angle range in which the detection means and / or the arm hand means are located. Displacement control means for retracting from the contact state, and a gap is formed between the support block and the back side of the substrate within the rotation angle range. It is obtained by way.
[0005]
In this configuration, a constant gap is generated on the back side of the substrate within a predetermined rotation angle range, so that the support block does not interfere with the robot arm hand means, and therefore the robot arm hand means need to be retracted. In addition, it is not necessary to change and replace the substrate when detecting the position, and the throughput is improved.
[0006]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the displacement control means further includes a plurality of sections of a rotation angle range for retracting the support block from the contact state. In this configuration, a plurality of fixed gaps that do not interfere with the table can be secured on the back surface of the substrate, and the retreat space of the arm hand means of the robot and the installation space for detecting means for detecting the angle position of the substrate by detecting edges and notches are provided. It can be provided at any position.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an edge hold type rotating device for a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 illustrates how a plurality of support blocks b1 to b15 that are in contact with and supported on the back surface of a substrate in a substrate rotating means 1 that rotates by holding an edge of the substrate retracts from the contact state with rotation. FIG. In the present invention, the support block is allowed to escape downward within a predetermined angle range so that a gap is formed on the back surface of the substrate. Substrate rotating means 1, near the end edge of the substrate 2 having a diameter of 300 mm, supported by a table constituted by 15 pieces of support blocks B1-B15, the gap width W 1 under the substrate 200 mm, the gap height 20mm The substrate 2 is rotated counterclockwise while ensuring a gap space. In this rotation operation, in the case of this figure, the support blocks b1, b2, b3 and b8, b9, b10 in the rotation angle ranges A, E are in the upper position to support the substrate, and the support blocks in the rotation angle ranges C, G b4, b5, b6, b7 and b12, b13, b14 are in the lower position and secure a gap on the back side of the substrate. This gap is used for loading / unloading a substrate by arm hand means (not shown) and for setting detection means. The rotation angle ranges B, D, F, and H are sections in which the support block moves up and down. In the state of this figure, the support block b11 is in the lowered state and the support block b15 is in the raised state. The transition regions W2 and W2 before and after the gap space are 25 mm in this example. In this example, fifteen support blocks b1 to b15 are arranged at equal intervals, and among these, at least five support blocks rotate while supporting the substrate in the rotation angle ranges A and E. The support block starts to contact the substrate at the positions of P and P, which are the beginning of the rotation angle ranges A and E, but the support block is removed from the diagonal position so as not to start contact with the substrate at both points simultaneously. I have to.
[0008]
FIG. 2 shows a state of the lifting / lowering operation of the support block accompanying the rotation operation of the table, paying attention to the specific support block in FIG. By rotating counterclockwise from the rotation angle range A in FIG. 1, the height of the support block is set to a gap height h (20 mm) between the substrate support position (upper position) U and the gap securing position (lower position) L. ) Is secured and displaced as shown in the figure.
[0009]
FIGS. 3A and 3B show detection means 3 for detecting an angular position corresponding to the edge-held substrate 2 having a diameter of 300 mm by the substrate rotation means 1 having the structure of the support block described in FIGS. 1 and 2. the provided, by the robot arm the hand unit 4 showing details of edge hold type rotary device of the substrate loading and unloading to support the substrate mechanically. The same components as those in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. As shown in the cross-sectional view, FIG. 3B, gaps (rotation angle ranges C and G in FIG. 1) that can be secured by lowering the support blocks b4, b5 and b13, b14 to the lower position are the angular position detection means 3 And the robot arm hand means 4 are used as a loading / unloading space for delivering the substrate 2. In this figure, the support block is configured to perform the same amount of descending operation at the diagonal position of the table. However, the number of support blocks and the angular range at the upper position U that can support and rotate the substrate 2 can be secured. If so, there is no need to be particular about making the descending section a diagonal position and making the amount of descending the same amount.
[0010]
In the apparatus according to the present invention, when transferring from the substrate rotating means 1 to the hand of the robot or the like, the transfer operation is not required, so that the total conveyance time can be shortened. Further, when the robot passes the substrate to the substrate rotating means 1 and receives it after the angle adjustment processing is completed, the arm hand means 4 is not moved away from the substrate back surface space, but is simply lowered into the lower back surface gap of the substrate. Since standby is possible, there is no need to move the arm hand means in and out, and the time can be further reduced.
[0011]
In the above example, the support block is released at a specific position in the space to secure a gap on the back surface of the substrate, which reduces the friction when the support block repeatedly contacts and separates from the substrate. ing. By the way, when rubbing does not become a problem, it is possible to secure a space near the substrate edge by moving the support block so as to spread in the horizontal direction, and cope with detection means, arm hand means, and the like. As an example that enables this method, a support block is attached to the tip of a support rod that is arranged radially from the center of rotation, and when rotating, a mechanism that moves the support block up and down and left and right along the cam, and each support block There are things that move up and down and left and right by sequence control.
[0012]
FIG. 4 shows an example of a simple mechanism for realizing the present invention. The same components as those in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. A plurality of support rods 5 having support blocks b1 to b12 at their tips are rotated by a motor 6 in a direction R, for example. The substrate 2 on the support block rotates in the R direction together with the support block. The support bar 5 has a mechanism that moves up and down, and the vertical position is determined by the cam 7. When the cam 7 is installed as shown in the figure, the support block is lowered toward the figure and on the opposite side. Here, the angular position detecting means can be arranged, and the arm hand means of the robot can be inserted and removed from the direction of the arrow IO in the figure. The support bar 5, the motor 6, and the cam 7 constitute a displacement control means for retracting the support block from the contact state.
[0013]
FIG. 5 shows yet another embodiment of the present invention. The same components as those in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. In the present embodiment, a gap is provided between the substrate and the support block by horizontally displacing the support block within a predetermined rotation angle range so as to retreat from the contact state with the back surface of the substrate. In the case of this figure, the support blocks b5, b6 move horizontally to the left outward to avoid interference with the detection means 3, and the support blocks b12, b13, b14 move horizontally to the right outward to move the arm hand means. 4 is avoided. Also in the present embodiment, the displacement control means for horizontally displacing the support block can be realized by, for example, a cam mechanism as described above or by independently controlling each support block.
[0014]
The present invention is not limited to the one described in the above embodiment, and the shape, arrangement, and number of support blocks, and the displacement means and method for retracting the support blocks, and other components of the present invention are substrates. This is suitably determined depending on the type and shape of the substrate to be handled by the edge hold type rotating device.
[0015]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the space in which the robot arm hand for carrying in / out the substrate operates is secured so that the support block in the preset rotation angle range is lowered. Regardless of the angle of rotation of the substrate, the arm hand means of the robot and the support block do not interfere with each other, and a holding operation for delivering the substrate becomes unnecessary. Further, since the angular position detection means can be arranged in the range where the support block is lowered and the support block does not interfere with the angular position detection means, the substrate replacement operation becomes unnecessary. By eliminating the need for the change-over and replacement operations, a mechanism for that purpose can be omitted. Further, throughput can be improved by reducing these operation steps and operation time, and the yield can be improved.
[0016]
According to the second aspect of the invention, since the support block has a plurality of rotation angle ranges in which the support block is retracted from the back surface of the substrate edge, the rotation angle range in which the arm hand means and the angular position detection means of the robot do not interfere with each other. Each of them can be provided, and can be adapted to the restrictions of peripheral devices.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a concept of an embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a vertical position displacement diagram of a support block that moves up and down with rotation in the embodiment.
3A is a plan view showing the embodiment, and FIG. 3B is the cross-sectional view.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment.
5A is a plan view showing another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5B is the cross-sectional view.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Board | substrate rotation means 2 Board | substrate 3 Detection means 4 Arm hand means b1-b15 Support block W1 Gap width A-H Rotation angle range

Claims (2)

A substrate rotating means for rotating a table for holding an edge of a substrate such as a silicon wafer, a photomask glass, a liquid crystal glass, etc. with the central axis as a rotation axis, and an angular position of the substrate edge-held on the substrate rotating means in edge hold type rotary device of the substrate in which the substrate is loading and unloading by detecting that a detection means, the arms hand means such as a robot in the substrate rotating means,
The table is movable, and a plurality of support blocks that are in contact with and supported by the back surface of the edge portion of the substrate, and a support that is positioned within a predetermined rotation angle range where the arm hand means and / or the detection means are located. Displacement control means for retracting the block from the contact state,
A substrate edge-hold type rotating device characterized in that a gap is formed between the support block and the back side of the substrate within the rotation angle range. 2. The edge hold type rotating device for a substrate according to claim 1, wherein the displacement control means has a plurality of sections of a rotation angle range for retracting the support block from the contact state.

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